Penn State Berks vs. UW-La Crosse

Should I go to Penn State Berks or University of Wisconsin La Crosse? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Berks or UW-La Crosse is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Penn State Berks vs. University of Wisconsin La Crosse comparison
Penn State Berks University of Wisconsin La Crosse College 3 College 4
Penn State Berks University of Wisconsin La Crosse
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Penn State Berks UW-La Crosse
Location Reading, PA La Crosse, WI
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 2,077 10,274
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #657 #548
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu uwlax.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Berks UW-La Crosse
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $7,585
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $16,404
Room & Board $14,334 $6,942
Avg Net Price $21,728 $13,130
Avg Grant Aid $8,528 $3,395
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 64%

Admission

Penn State Berks UW-La Crosse
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,605 7,290
Admitted 5,453 5,413
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 74.3%
Enrolled % 11.6% 43%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.6
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/28 22/26
SAT Range 1090/1290
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

Penn State Berks UW-La Crosse
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Education (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State Berks UW-La Crosse
Graduation Rate 55% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $49,500
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $277 $240

Diversity

Penn State Berks UW-La Crosse
% Men 59% 42%
% Women 41% 58%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 68% 90%
% Black 9% 1%
% Hispanic 11% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 3% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

Penn State Berks UW-La Crosse
% In-State 64% 81%
% Out-of-State 30% 19%

Campus

Penn State Berks UW-La Crosse
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Wisconsin La Crosse is larger than than Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (10,274 students vs. 2,077 students)

Penn State Berks vs. UW-La Crosse Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Berks or UW-La Crosse?

  • Penn State Berks is 102.9% more expensive to attend than UW-La Crosse for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $7,585.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 57.6% higher at Penn State Berks than University of Wisconsin La Crosse ($25,854.00 vs. $16,404.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Wisconsin La Crosse than Penn State Berks ($13,130 vs. $21,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Wisconsin La Crosse are 106.5% lower than costs at Penn State Berks ($6,942 vs. $14,334)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Berks than University of Wisconsin La Crosse (66% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Berks students is 151.2% larger than aid received University of Wisconsin La Crosse ($8,528 vs. $3,395)

Penn State Berks vs. UW-La Crosse Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Berks or UW-La Crosse? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UW-La Crosse or Penn State Berks .

  • The average SAT score at University of Wisconsin La Crosse (1130) is 152 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming UW-La Crosse students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman UW-La Crosse students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than UW-La Crosse (74.3%)

Penn State Berks vs. UW-La Crosse Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Berks or UW-La Crosse? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UW-La Crosse and Penn State Berks.

  • The graduation rate at UW-La Crosse is higher than Penn State Berks (68% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Berks earn on average $5,800 more per year than UW-La Crosse graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,500)
  • University of Wisconsin La Crosse students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Berks graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • UW-La Crosse graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More UW-La Crosse graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/